If Elena Kagan’s nomination is confirmed, it’ll be the first time in history there’s no white, Anglo-Saxon protestant on the US Supreme Court. There will be 6 Catholics and 3 Jews and nobody who did not go to law school at Harvard or Yale. Do religious background and education determine how a judge sees the law? What about ideology, legal philosophy—and sexual orientation? Does the high court’s changing makeup mark the end of white, Anglo-Saxon protestant domination of a country founded by WASP’s? Lastly, what happened to LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers?

FROM THIS EPISODE

If Elena Kagan’s nomination is confirmed, it’ll be the first time in history there’s no white, Anglo-Saxon protestant on the US Supreme Court. There will be 6 Catholics and 3 Jews and nobody who did not go to law school at Harvard or Yale. Do religious background and education determine how a judge sees the law? What about ideology, legal philosophy—and sexual orientation? Does the high court’s changing makeup mark the end of white, Anglo-Saxon protestant domination of a country founded by WASP’s? Lastly, what happened to LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers?

What happened to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? Most Valuable Player… best league record… top seed in the NBA playoffs: loser before even making the final round. That’s what’s happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers for two years running. LeBron James had a big game last night in Boston, but it was too little, too late for the Cleveland Cavaliers who lost in the second round of the playoffs 4 games to 2.

For the first time in history: a US Supreme Court without a white, anglo-saxon protestant member. That’s what Elena Kagan’s confirmation would mean. Today: does religion matter? Is the court’s new makeup a political accident—or a historic moment?

Article VI of the Constitution says, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust.” But for 100 years, only white anglo-saxon males were chosen for the US Supreme Court. As the country became more diverse, there was a “Catholic seat,” then a “Jewish seat.” Now, if Elena Kagan is confirmed it’ll be all Jews and Catholics - no WASPs at all. Dr. Diana Butler Bass’s most recent book is, “A People’s History of Religion.” She recently wrote, “Elena Kagan and a Lament for American Protestantism” on Beliefnet.com

There’s now a consensus that the Gulf oil spill is at least 10 times bigger than official estimates—and it’s still growing as the gusher beneath the sea continues. Today, President Obama lashed out at all three of the responsible companies.